Sri Haridev Ji, Behta, Bithoor, Kalpi and Kanpur Yatra

Important places to visit in and around Kanpur:

1. Sri Haridev Ji Temple at Budhauli Village, Kanpur Dehat

(Useful information: It is two-hour drive from Kanpur in the remote village of Budhauli in Kanpur Dehat district.)

2. Sri Kesavadev Ji Temple at Rasdhan, Kanpur Dehat

(Useful information: It is two-hour drive from Kanpur in the remote village of Rasdhan in Kanpur Dehat district. Rasdhan is 3 km from Budhauli.)

3. Sri Jagannath Mandira – Monsoon Temple at Behta Bujurg, Bhitargaon

(Useful information: It is 40 km from Kanpur in the remote quaint village of Behta Bujurg near Bhitargaon, 15 km from Ghatampur.)

4. Bithoor – The Birthplace of Dhruva Maharaja and Brahmavarta Ghata

(Useful information: It is 24 km from Kanpur.)

5. Kalpi – The Birthplace of Srila Vyasadeva

(Useful information: It is less than two-hour drive from Kanpur.)

6. ISKCON Kanpur Temple

7. Sri Panki Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandira

Nestled in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, a 2-hour drive from Lucknow, the vibrant city of Kanpur has etched its name in the annals of history as a centre of industrial eminence. Yet its true glory is the highly significant Vaisnava holy places, steeped in devotion and the hidden timeless transcendental gems encircling its outskirts, namely, Sri Haridev Ji Temple at Budhauli Village, the original 5000-years-old one of the four principal deities of Vraja which came from Govardhan in the year 1670 after the Mughal attacks in Mathura and Vrindavana, over 4200-years-old ancient enigmatic Sri Jagannatha Mandira at Behta Bujura, Sri Keshavadeva Ji at Rasdhan, Bithoor – the Birthplace of Dhruva Maharaja, Brahmavarta Ghata where Lord Brahma performed Ashvamedha yajna, Kalpi – the Birthplace of Srila Vyasadeva, Sri Panki Hanuman Mandira and the magnificent ISKCON Kanpur Temple at the centre of the city.

Sri Harideva Ji Temple is a two-hour drive from Kanpur in the remote village of Budhauli in Kanpur Dehat district. This original deity is one of the four principal deities of Vraja. The other three are Sri Govindadeva (Jaipur), Sri Baladeva (Dauji), and Sri Kesavadeva (Rasdhan). Just prior to Aurangzeb's attack on Mathura and Vrindavana in 1670, many important Deities were secretly moved for safe keeping. The famous Sri Harideva Ji from Govardhana and Sri Kesavadeva Ji from Mathura were taken to Budhauli village near the town of Rasadhan in Kanpur Dehat district. Raja Himmat Bahadur Singh brought Them here carrying on elephants. Sri Harideva Ji is worshipped at Budhauli. In Govardhan, currently, the pratibhu form of Harideva Ji is worshipped, as also mentioned in the book ‘Vraja-mandala Darsana – A 30-Day Parikrama Experience’ and Vraja-Lila Part 3 book by HG Deena Bandhu Das.

HG Deena Bandhu Prabhu mentions, “You can see that Haridev at Govardhana is a bas-relief Deity with His left hand held high to lift Govardhan Hill. This is the pratibhu Deity, because when the Mughals attacked Vraja, the original Deity was taken to a village near Kanpur called Budhauli. I have been there a couple of times. First time I went, there was just a broken-down tiny shrine. Recently, one disciple of HH Radha Govind Swami Maharaj has made a large beautiful temple there and worship is going on very nicely.” HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj has also visited this temple. Inside the temple, there are two altars – one for Sri Harideva Ji and the other for Thakura Sri Giridhar Gopala Ji, seated side-by-side.

Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 18.17-19 describes that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Sri Harideva Ji Temple at Govardhana during His Vraja-mandala yatra, "Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as Govardhana. There He saw the Deity named Harideva and offered His obeisances unto Him. Harideva is an incarnation of Narayana, and His residence is on the western petal of the lotus of Mathura. Mad with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to dance before the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord’s wonderful activities, all the people came to see Him. The people were astonished when they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception."

While Sri Harideva Ji was installed at Budhauli, Sri Kesavadeva Ji came to Rasdhan, which is 3 km from Budhauli. Sri Kesavadeva Ji was earlier worshipped at Sri Krishna Janmasthana at Mathura. After coming to Rasadhan, unfortunately, in the late 1960s, Sri Kesavadeva Ji was stolen by thieves, and nobody knows its present whereabouts. However, by the sincere and dedicated efforts of the current Mahant (chief) at Sri Kesavadeva Ji Temple, a beautiful pratibhu deity of Lord Kesavadeva Ji is installed, carving Them after making expensive findings for several years.

Sri Jagannatha Temple, also known as Monsoon Temple, is about 2 hours from Kanpur, situated in the remote quaint village of Behta near Bhitargaon, 15 km from Ghatampur. The exact origins of this sacred site remain unknown, but the temple is at least 4200-years-old, as confirmed by carbon dating conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India. This ancient enigmatic parabolic architectural temple has its central structure resembling a majestic chariot, surrounded by walls shaped like delicate lotus petals. In the heart of the temple, surrounded by twelve uniquely carved pillars, there is the majestic deity of Lord Jagannath, standing tall at nearly 6–7 feet. Crafted from rare black stone, His divine form mesmerizes and blesses everyone. To the right is a smaller deity of Lord Vishnu. This is the utsava deity and is taken during the annual Ratha Yatra festival. Another unique feature of this temple is that at the top of the sanctum sanctorum, there is a stone slab that indicates the onset of the monsoon. Renowned for its unique phenomenon, wherein raindrops grace the roof just a few days before the onset of monsoon build-up in the Bay of Bengal, this temple is shrouded in an aura of mystery and wonder! The size and quantity of the raindrops on the ceilings hint at the intensity of the coming rains. As one enters the temple, on the left side chamber, there is an ancient deity of Sri Surya Narayana, and on the right side is Sri Ananta Padmanabha in reclining posture, same as at Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The facade of the temple is very articulated and resembles the entrance of a royal palace.

Nestled serenely on the banks of the sacred Ganges, Bithoor is a place of profound transcendental importance. It is 24 km from Kanpur. This area was the capital of Utpalaranya Kingdom. The ancient palace of Maharaja Uttanapada existed on the banks of the Ganges River. The ruins of this palace can still be seen by taking a boat ride from Bhahmavarta ghata. Here, there is a unique temple of Dhruva as the main deity. A short distance away is Brahmavarta Ghata. Set against the scenic backdrop of the river Ganges, Lord Brahma performed Ashvamedha yajna here. This place is marked by a nail of a horseshoe embedded in the steps of the ghata. On the completion of the yajna, the forests of Utpalaranya became known as Brahmavarta, the Seat of Brahma. Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 4, chapters 8-10, describes Dhruva's pastime. 

Kalpi, the Birthplace of Srila Vyasadeva, is located between Kanpur and Jhansi, less than a two-hour drive from Kanpur. Kalpi is a remote village on the banks of the Vyasa Ganga River in Jalaun district. Situated in a beautiful, tranquil rural setting is Vyasadeva Teela – the birthplace of Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Adjacent to Vyasadeva Teela there is a newly constructed South Indian temple that has the deities of Vyasadeva's father Parashara Muni and Mother Satyavati holding baby Vyasadeva on their lap. The Yamuna River is a short distance from Srila Vyasadeva's birthplace. The entire area is incredibly peaceful and transcendentally surcharged.

ISKCON Kanpur Temple is spread in a sprawling campus of over 15 acres, surrounded by beautiful gardens. This magnificent Temple is the abode of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Sri Janaki JanakiVallabha Lakshmana Hanuman and Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara. The temple was constructed in 2014 and has Bhaktivedanta Hall, Govindas restaurant, Vrinda restaurant, Vedic Ashram Guesthouse and Gift Shops. There is also a small Gaushala on the premises. The bigger, Bhaktivedanta Vaibhava Gaushala, is 22 km away near Unnao village.

Sri Panki Hanuman Temple is a revered ancient temple situated on the outskirts of Kanpur. This temple has a rich history of approximately 400 years, and was established before the city of Kanpur came into existence.

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews